Bottle carrier



Oct. 27, 1942- H. E. BRUNHOFF BOTTLE CARRIER Filed June 22, 1940 2 SheeQs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 27, 1942.

H. E. BRUNHQFF BOTTLE CARRIER Filed June 22, 1940 -2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 27, 1942 umrao STATES. PATENT OFFICE I 300,201 I I Henry E. Brnnz xfm ifiz flzio, assignor to The Brnnlioil Mannfaoturin g Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 22, 1940, Serial No. 341,931

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in crates for bottles, and particularly in hand crates for carrying a retail supply of beverage bottles.

It has been a practice to package beverage bottles for servicing a retail supply in half-dozen lots in a hand carrier made of paperboard, as a collapsible or knock-down carton, which in its structure when erected for handling a group of bottles provides in its form of organization a handle, serving also as a closure for the bottle package.

A bottled beverage usually carries a bottle charge when taken from the premises of the retailer which is repaid upon return of the bottles, so that the crate also is of benefit to the consumer in a return handling of the bottles. In the use of a paper bottle carrier, it is generally discarded by the dealer in its return as unfi't or unsafe for further service. The durability and extended utility of a bottle carrier as well as low of the base, and are of a form to clasp the group of bottles therebetween and clampingly hold the same against displacement. The frames swing outwardly to open the crate to afford full freedom for insertion and removal of the bottles.

Each frame is provided with a bail, and the balls are interlockingly connected; one to form a clasp-like connection for the frames, and the second a hasp for the first, which second also serves as a handle for the crate.

An object of the invention is to provide a metal crate to compactly confine a group of bottles for convenient hand carriage through the medium of a bail, the crate of simple and durable construction and of low manufacturing cost, and foldable to open the same for freedom to insert and remove the bottles and to render the same knock-down.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foldable metal crate for a hand carriage, preferably of retail number or group of beverage bottles, in which the bottles are sustained in an upright position and the group compactly clamped between opposing wire frames hinged to a base with the upper end of the frames clasped together below the tops of the bottles by a pair of interlocking bails respectively carried by the frames,

with one of the balls adapted to be utilized as a handle. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a foldable metal crate for packaging a retail number or group of beverage bottles, the group compactly confined and locked therein against displacement for hand carriage, and for stacking one group upon another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand carriage metal crate for beverage bottles of a simple construction, offering a low cost of manufacture to permit its use in substitution of a fragile paperboard container, and giving thereover increased durability and utility.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent from a description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carrier crate with a group of bottles clasped therein.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the carrier crate, showing one of the hinged sides in lowered position.

Figure 3 is an end view of the crate.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken on the line l-l, of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an end view of the case with the balls interlocked in carrying position.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 with the balls in unclamped carrying position.

The crate is provided with a rectangularly panshaped base i0 formed with a bottom H and a peripheral wall II. In the present instance-the base is arranged to receive six bottles thereon in two rows of three each. The crate, however, may be proportioned to accommodate a greater or less number of bottles otherwise arranged to accommodate various needs. The bottles are spaced at their lower portions by bosses it formed in the bottom of the base.

A bead l5, formed in the bottom of the base, projects below the undersurf-ace thereof and extends marginally around the base. The bead is adapted to circumference the top of a group of bottles in stacking the cases.

Thecrate has a pair of opposing side frames IT, IS, normally extending upwardly from opposite sides of the base and curved at their respective ends to clasp the opposite and bottles of a group. The frames are hinged to the base so that they may be swung outwardly downward to the plane of the base when the case is being filled, and to allow stacking and nesting of the crates.

I'he frames preferably are of approximately rectangular shape made of wire or similar metal stock, with the lower ends 2| shaped to conform to the side and curve partially about the ends of the base. The upper edges of the base wall are rolled as at 23 over the respective lower ends or bars of the frames to pivotally connect the frames to the base. The upper cross bars 24, 23, of the respective frames engage the opposite rows of bottles. slightly below their tops, and the end portions of the upper sides of the frames curve about the necks of the end bottles in each row, to hold the bottles in grouped relation.

A sheet metal panel 21 is provided for each frame. The panel is secured to the frame at opposite ends thereof by rolling the edges of the panel over the respective end bars of the frame as at 28. The panels enclose and protect the bottles, enhance the appearance of the crate, and provide a printing or display area if desired.

Bails 30, 3|, substantially of U-shape, are pivoted in relative alignment to spaced oflset portions of the respective upper cross bars 24, 25, of the frames. The halls in erected position serve either as carrier handles or may be interlocked to draw the upper sides of the frames toward each other to clamp the bottles in place in the crate. The bail 30 is arranged to swing crosswise over the top of the crate between the bottles, and includes an offset connecting bar 32 adapted to overhang the upper cross bar 24 of the frame I8. The pivot for the bail 3| is in the form of elongated eyes 33 received about the cross bar 24 of the .frame. The eyes provide a catch to engage the connecting bar 32 therebeneath, serving to hold, the cross bail latched in clasping position, as shown in Figure 4. After the bottles have been deposited in the crate, the sides l1, l8, are swung upwardly to enclose the group of bottles, and the bails are swung over the top of the crate, the clamp bail 3| being received within the loop of the cross bail 30. The clamp bail is then swung on its pivot outwardly and downwardly, acting as a toggle for the cross bail to draw the frames toward each other as a clasp. The offset end 32 of the cross bail engages against the outer side of the elongated eyes 33 of the clamp bail and is cammed downwardly to a locked position therebeneath. Tension of the clasp or cross bail, when the crate is clasped in closed position, reacts on the slanting elongated eye 33 to urge the clamp bail downwardly inclamped position in contact with the side I! of the crate. The lower portion of the clamp bail is curved to position its end away from the crate so that it may be easily grasped.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4, for binding or clamping a group of bottles within the tray, the bail 30 extends crosswise of the bottles below the tops thereof, and encloses the centrally positioned bottles of the group. The offset cross bar or handle section 32 of the bail 30 projects downwardly with the angle section 34 of the limbs of the second bail 3| overlying the cross bar 32 of the bail 30. The offset cross bar portion 32 of the bail 30 hooks over the cross bar portion 2 of the frame I! as a clasp. Upon swinging e bail 3| downwardly to an approximately vertical position at one side of the group of bottles, the angle section 34 together with the oblong eye 33 at the free end thereof, pivotally connecting bail 3| to the frame ll, provide for wedging the forward ofiset end 32 of the bail 30 downwardly with a portion of the eye projected between the offset 24 of the frame l1 and the cross bar 32 of the bail 30, establishing a pressure interlock, holding the ball 3 under pressure against self release. and also brings and sustains the side frames I1 and I3 into clasping engagement with the bottles so that they -are securely confined within the case for stacking the units one upon another, of advantage in shipping and storage. The elongated eye connection of the bail 3| with the frame |'I provides the necessary play to permit the interlocking engagement of the balls, and firmly holds the bail 30 in its crosswise bottle confining and frame clamping position;

When it is desired to unclamp the crate, the clamp bail is swung upwardly to a position above the crate, the bottles being thereby released for removal.

The crate may be carried while the bottles are fully clamped therein by hand grasping the cross bar portion of the bail 3|; .or the clamping means for the crate may be unlocked by swinging the clamp bail upwardly to a position above the crate, as illustrated in Figure 5, in which position the end of the cross ball is detained in the crock of the clamp bail, and the clamp bail then used as a carrying handle; or both the clamp bail and the cross bail may be swung upwardly to positions above the crate, as illustrated in Figure 6, and both used to carry the crate.

The intumed or lateral extended opposite ends of the frame overlap the end bottles of a row with the upper portion thereof having a greater inward reach toengage about the necks of the opposite end bottles, which together with the upper cross bar connection of the frame when the opposing framesare locked together by the bails, prevent vertical displacement of the bails. The height and clamping of the frames is immediately below the tops of the group of bottles, leaving the bottle tops freely exposed for the purpose of stacking one filled crate upon another, and held against slippage by the surrounding beading l5 embossed from the bottom of the base.

While it is feasible to utilize the crate to its fullest efliciency without the panels or side bands 21 on the frames, their use aside from adding rigidity to the frames provides considerable display or advertising space of material benefit to the beverage dispensator without adding materially to the cost.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A hand carriage bottle crate, comprising: a base, side frames of wire work, each having its bottom cross bar portion hingedly connected to a relative side of the base, and its opposite ends bent inwardly to rest upon the tray and limit the inward swing of the frame in an upright position and offset the opposite ends and top of the frame inwardly from the bottom cross bar portion, a sheet metal web providing a closure for the body portion of the frame having its opposite ends bent laterally and connecting with the,

relative opposite ends of the frame, the side frames swinging outwardly from a perpendicular position on the base, and a pair of bails, each hingedly connected to a respective top of a side frame and centrally thereof, the bails adapted one to be interlooped through the other to bring and lock the same into a horizontal position for engagement with the top of the opposite side frame to link the side frames together in their perpendicular position.

2. A hand carriage bottle crate, comprising: a base of tray form to receive and support a group of bottles in an upright position and pair of aligned rows, side frames of wire work each composed of top and bottom cross bars connected by perpendicular side bars, the bottom cross bar intermediate of its opposite ends hingedly connected with a relative side of the base and having its opposite ends curved laterally inward to overlie and bear upon the ends of thebase for limiting the inward swing of. the frame and to offset the side and top bars inwardlyfrom the bottom bar, the side bars to confine the bottles within the opposite ends of the base and bring the upper cross bar in proximity with the necks of the bottles to confine them against vertical displacement, and a, pair of bails, each hingedly connected to a respective top bar of a frame and centrally thereon and adapting one thereof to be interlooped through by the second and locked thereby in a horizontal position, claspingly connecting the tops of the frames to prevent vertical displacement of the bottles, and the second in an upward position providing a hand hold for crate carriage and in a lowered position alongside the bottles locking the first bail in its frame latching position.

3. A hand carriage bottle crate, comprising: a base to receive and support a group of bottles in an upright position and pair of aligned rows, side frames of wire work each composed of top and bottom cross bars connected by perpendicular side bars, the bottom cross bar hingedly connected with a relative side of the base and having its opposite ends extending laterally inward to overlie and bear upon the ends of the base for limiting the inward swing of the frame and to offset the side and top bars inwardly from the bottom bar, the side bars to confine the bottles within the opposite ends of the base and bring the upper cross bar in proximity with the necks of the bottles to confine them against vertical displacement, and a pair of bails each hingedly connected to a respective top bar of a frame and centrally thereon and adapting one thereof to be interlooped through by the second and locked thereby in a horizontal position to bind the frames, and the second in an upward position providing a hand hold for crate carriage, and in a. lowered position alongside the bottles locking the first bail in its latching position, and impinging the upper ends of the frames against the tops of the bottles.

HENRY E. BRUNHOFF. 

